The first Interfaith Dialogue on Violent Extremism (IDOVE) Youth Forum was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from February 21 to 23, 2017. The forum was organized by the African Union Commission (AUC) in partnership with Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) and the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC).

The participants were drawn from Africa (Algeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe) and Europe (Austria, Britain, France, Germany, Ireland, Sweden and United Kingdom). There was a total of 40 youth from over 32 countries in Africa and Europe who have demonstrated leadership in the field of Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) in their respective societies.

The Youth Forum is part of a bigger project called “the Trans-continental Dialogue Programme on Preventing Violent Extremism through the Soft Power of Religion” aimed at creating a transcontinental platform that will bring together stakeholders from Africa and Europe to deliberate and come up with contemporary recommendations and activities on how to counter violent extremism.

The rationale behind this initiative was to establish a counter movement which emphasizes:

“Eglise Méthodiste du Togo”, the Methodist Church in Togo, held its 8th Biannual Conference from 5 to 10 April 2016. As a first occurrence in Africa, two ladies were elected to be the leaders of that Church.

The new President is Rev. Mrs. Martine Zinsou Lawson who was formally the General Secretary and the new General Secretary is Rev. Mrs. Angèle Dogbé Wilson, who was previously the head of the Women’s Desk in the Programme for Christian Muslim Relations in Africa (PROCMURA).

The two ladies will work with the Vice-president and the treasurer, two lay gentlemen. The official induction ceremony was held on 15 May 2016 and was well attended by the AACC Staff, based in our Regional Office in Lomé, Togo, high-level political authorities such as representatives of the government and the opposition and Church leaders from Togo and other countries in the sub-region.

We welcome our dear sisters to the Lord’s vineyard in their new responsibilities and request you, sisters and brothers from the AACC family, to continue praying for them and for their Church.